Milo Yiannopoulos, the controversial far-right political commentator who once worked for Kanye West, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Louisiana.
Yiannopoulos, 41, was apprehended by immigration enforcement officers while at an airport in Louisiana, sources told TMZ Friday.
Online records indicated Yiannopoulos, born in the United Kingdom, was being held in ICE custody as of Friday afternoon, though it’s unclear where or why.
The Independent has asked Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.
Yiannopoulos’s arrest in Louisiana comes hours before West, also known as Ye, is set to perform at Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans. It’s unclear if Yiannopoulos was expected to attend his former boss’s concert.
open image in galleryLaura Loomer, a close ally of President Donald Trump and far-right activist, posted on X applauding ICE for detaining Yiannopoulos, whom she referred to as an “illegal alien.”
“Today is a great day for America,” Loomer wrote, taking credit for being “the first” to report he was “an illegal alien.”
The far-right provocateur is known for his work in alt-right politics, including running West’s presidential campaign in 2022 and later as an unpaid intern for former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Yiannopoulos also previously worked for Breitbart, a far-right news and opinion website, and has self-published books.
He has a long history of posting sexist, racist, transphobic content online to amass views and draw attention to his celebrity. He’s equated feminism to cancer, said only white men should work in law enforcement and construction, and called trans people a “danger to civic order.”
open image in galleryThe Anti-Defamation League has listed examples of Yiannopoulos’ rhetoric under the categories “extremism, hate or terrorism.”
Yiannopoulos has posted pro-ICE messages online, writing on X in September 2025 that there should be “total legal immunity for ICE agents when they’re on duty,” and in August 2025 that “ ICE should be legally required at polling stations.”
“If ICE has 90,000 employees, and all we are asking for is 10,000 deportations a day, that’s 9 agents per illegal. More than enough to cover investigation, apprehension and removal. What are they all waiting for?” he posted shortly after Trump was inaugurated.